For our monologue assessment, I have chosen to perform a piece from The Hurricane, and the character I will be playing is Rubin Carter. Based on real events, the film tells the story of Rubin “Hurricane” Carter, an American boxer who had been wrongfully convicted of murder. The character feels as though the actions against him have been unwarranted, until he is finally released after spending almost 20 years in prison.
When selecting a monologue piece I tend to search for material that is strong and of a more mature nature, as this is the sort of acting that inspires me. What drew me to this speech was the content of the dialogue that reflected the corruption within the justice system, a situation which is still relevant in modern times. The scene takes place in a court room with Rubin Carter requesting to make an address. In his statement, he regards the treatment he has received to be very prejudiced and that no reasonable action has been taken on the account. In this particular scene, the character’s objective is to achieve justice which he can only obtain by the judge’s authority. Because of Rubin Carter’s demeanor it makes it difficult for him to do so. The image of a boxer being seen as very aggressive and violent becomes the flaw that hinders him from achieving his objective.
When identifying how this scene should be played there can be a number of ways in which it can be performed. Some of the action verbs that can be used would be to persuade and to appeal. It is Rubin Carter’s goal to seek the judge’s approval and the only way he can do so is by using tactics of empathy. Each of these strategies may result in a different consequence and it will be very interesting to see what the outcome will be when recorded on camera.
Jedd's Blog 